1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with the field of devices for controlling the volume of a radio. In particular the present invention is usable with respect to controlling volume on a clock radio which includes a clock radio alarm device thereon. Furthermore the present invention is most particularly usable with the clock radio having a radio alarm as well as having a sleep mode operable to play the radio for a predetermined time as the user falls asleep under low volume conditions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many prior art devices have been patented for controlling volume of radios or clocks or alarm mechanisms such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,251,182 issued May 17, 1966 to C. Marble and assigned to General Electric Company on a "Variable Loudness Alarm Mechanism"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,973 issued Dec. 6, 1977 to D. Martino on an "Automatic Variable-Sound Alarm Clock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,358 issued Sep. 4, 1979 to D. Tremblay et al and assigned to General Time Corporation on a "Solid State Alarm For Clock-Radio"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,279 issued May 20, 1980 to M. Kamiya on a "Timepiece Which Permits Freely Adjusting The Level Of Sounds Produced Therein And Given Out Thereof"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,519 issued Jun. 3, 1980 to N. Deruns and assigned to Ebauches Electroniques SA on an "Electronic Time-Piece With Acoustic Signal, For Signalling A Particular Working Mode"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,370,067 issued Jan. 25, 1983 to R. Iwakura et al and assigned to Citizen Watch Company Limited on an "Electronic Timepiece With Gain/Loss Adjustment"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,821 issued Feb. 15, 1983 to M. Morishige and assigned to Casio Computer Co., Ltd. on an "Electronic Timepiece Generating Different Alarm Sounds For Respective Different Regions"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,345 issued Mar. 22, 1983 to S. Yamada et al and assigned to Rhythm Watch Company, Limited on an "Alarm Signaling Circuit For Timepiece"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,481,674 issued Nov. 6, 1984 to W. Silva on a "Sleep Switch Volume Control"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,699 issued Nov. 7, 1989 to Y. Sakamoto and assigned to Seiko Epson Corporation on an "Audio Output Device"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,108 issued Oct. 16, 1990 to M. Ohtsu et al and assigned to Sony Corporation on a "Volume Control For Sound Reproducing Apparatus"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,580 issued Oct. 6, 1992 to J. Pollack and assigned to RCA Thomson Licensing Corporation on a "Retriggerable Sleep Timer With User-Prompting Mode Operation"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,159 issued Dec. 8, 1992 to Y. Kawabata et al and assigned to Pioneer Electronic Corporation on a "Sleep Timer For Audio/Visual Apparatus And Method Of Sleep Timer Operation"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,568 issued Sep. 7, 1993 to N. Burch et al on a "Bioclock"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,230 issued Oct. 12, 1993 to D. Kuo on an "Alarm Clock With An Switch Button Assembly"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,523 issued May 17, 1994 to Y. Kawauchi and assigned to Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba on a "Sound Volume Controlling Apparatus".